Former Hearts and Hibs players united at Portsmouth as Fratton Park side make double deadline day swoop
Hearts and Hibs players of the past have made deadline day transfer moves to Portsmouth.
English Championship side Portsmouth have signed former Hearts and Hibs players on transfer deadline day.
The Fratton Park side have been busy on the final day of the summer window, with one of their arrivals being goalkeeper Josef Bursik on a permanent deal from Club Brugge. He has EFL experience after time at sides like Stoke City, and joined David Gray’s side on loan last term, starting out as number one before losing his spot to Jordan Smith.
Meanwhile, Pompey have also made a move to capture striker Makenzie Kirk from St Johnstone. Boss Simo Valakari had confirmed a deal was in the works over the weekend and now it has been confirmed by the second tier English side.
Makenzie Kirk to Portsmouth confirmation
He joined Saints last year after a prolific spell with Hearts ‘B’ but opted for regular senior football with ex Jambos boss Craig Levein. While he couldn’t stop their relegation from the Premiership, he did impress and attracted a number of suitors this summer, with Portsmouth winning the race.
On their arrivals, Portsmouth said: “Pompey have signed 25-year-old goalkeeper Josef Bursik from Club Brugge for an undisclosed fee. The former England youth international – who has represented his country up to under-21 level – has agreed a two-year deal with the club. He made 53 appearances for the Potters before heading to Belgium to sign for Clun Brugge in January 2023. Bursik spent last season on loan at Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership and featured 17 times for the Edinburgh outfit.
“Pompey have completed the signing of 21-year-old striker Makenzie Kirk from St Johnstone for an undisclosed fee. The Northern Ireland under-21 international has put pen to paper on a three-year contract at Fratton Park, with the deal subject to international clearance.
Josef Bursik to Portsmouth transfer is done deal
“The Hearts academy graduate impressed with their ‘B’ team in the Lowland League, netting 43 goals in 48 games. He made his top-flight debut in a draw at Ross County and gained more experience with a stint on loan at Hamilton Academical. Kirk signed for St Johnstone last summer and netted 11 times during an impressive debut campaign for the Perth outfit.”
Boss John Mousinho said: “We’re bringing in a player who’s an incredibly exciting young prospect and has already featured in plenty of first team games up in Scotland. As well as being one for the future, we believe he’s someone who can have a positive impact on the side right now.
“We’re very excited to have Makenzie in our squad. I’m looking forward to working with him and watching him continue to develop. Josef is someone who showed a lot of promise as a youngster and has played plenty of Championship games. He really bolsters the options we’ve got in the goalkeeping department and is a target that’s been in our sights for a while now, so we’re delighted to get the deal done.”